Our In honor of Earth Day April 22, we’ve compiled fun facts and activities to help you celebrate our planet right here in Raleigh.
CLEAN PLATE CLUB
BEE THE CHANGE
WHEELS UP!
GET OUTSIDE There are 10 National Park Service Units in N.C. with over 19 million park visitors annually. Locations include the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout and the Guilford Courthouse. The Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Department alone manages more than 200 parks and 9,000 acres of parkland.
In 2017, Raleigh was named a Bee City USA for its efforts to protect and enhance the habitat of the pollinators that contribute over $20 billion to the value of US crops. A few favorite bee plants: clover, sunflowers and our signature oak trees.
In March, the City of Raleigh launched its much-anticipated bike share program, which will grow to include 300 bikes and 30 docking stations downtown and beyond for riders to use, all aiming to reduce car traffic and emissions. Visit citrixcycle.com for information about fees and stations near you.
MIND YOUR BINS One materials recovery facility that serves Wake County processes up to 550 tons of recyclable material every day. Head to page 106 to get an inside look.
SPRING CLEANING?
CLOSE THE LOOP The city is working toward a new system to treat wastewater: through anaerobic digesters. The process creates methane, which can be converted into renewable natural gas to fuel city buses.
The City of Raleigh has partnered with Simple Recycling to gather clothing, shoes and accessories that are too worn to donate to keep them out of the landfill. For home furnishings, consider The Green Chair Project (learn more on page 76).
COVER SOME GROUND Explore the area along the Capital Area Greenway system, more than 100 miles of paved and unpaved trails, many along protected stream corridors. Go online at parks.raleighnc.gov for a map.
Information courtesy Compost Now, Bee City USA, Bee Downtown, National Park Service, City of Raleigh
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Happy & Hale, Raleigh Raw and The Pharmacy Cafe on Person Street are just a few local restaurants that compost their disposable plates, cups and cutlery in addition to their food waste.
